High voltage analog multiplex switch integrated circuit architecture
An integrated circuit high voltage analog switch has digital logic-level control interface circuit. A level translator is coupled to the digital logic-level control interface circuit. A plurality of output multi-channel high voltage switches is coupled to the level translator.
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This invention relates to a programmable high voltage analog multiplex or de-multiplexer switch integrated circuit for ultrasound scanning image system, and more particularly, to an array of high voltage analog switches used for multiplexing or de-multiplexing between, for example, 64 transmitting/receiving channels of a high voltage ultrasound transmit pulse generator and ultrasound echo signal receiver to the 192 piezoelectric or capacitive-electrostatic elements in the ultrasound transducer probe in an ultrasound B-scan or a color image system.
Ultrasound medical imaging or nondestructive testing (NDT) application have a growing demand for more sophisticated excitation waveforms and sequential scanning method for large number of piezoelectric or capacitive-electrostatic elements array connected to the limited excitation source and echo signal receiver channels. A cost effective way for such system design is to directly use an array of high voltage analog switches forming multiplexer and de-multiplexer to connect the transducer elements in the probe and the transmitter/receiver channels. The commonly used ultrasound probe array contains 128, 192 or 256 piezoelectric or capacitive-electrostatic elements. These elements need to connect and work with 64 or 128 transmitter and receiver channels. Therefore it requests an array of 2:1 or 3:1 multiplexer or de-multiplexer in a very small size integrated circuit device. However the recent available high voltage switch integration lever of 8 or 16 switch channels per IC devices are no long meeting the application design and implementation requirement.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a circuit and method that overcomes the above problems. The circuit and method would be a high voltage analog multiplexer or de-multiplexer switch array integrated circuit device architecture topology for meeting these system design requirements.
An integrated circuit high voltage analog switch has digital logic-level control interface circuit. A level translator is coupled to the digital logic-level control interface circuit. A plurality of output multi-channel high voltage switches is coupled to the level translator.
The features, functions, and advantages can be achieved independently in various embodiments of the disclosure or may be combined in yet other embodiments,
Embodiments of the disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:
In various embodiments, the programmable ultrasound piezoelectric or capacitive-electrostatic transducer elements multiplexer or de-multiplexer devices provide digital controlled signal path for high voltage analog transmitting waveforms, and the ultrasound echo signal which contain the acoustic reflection and/or diffraction signal from the target object(s) for the ultrasound B-scan image system, Referring to
If this is an example of a 3 to 1 (3 piezoelectric or capacitive-electrostatic elements per multiplex switch) multiplexing system configuration of the B-scan or color scan ultrasound image system, for the lower cost system, the number of the piezoelectric or capacitive-electrostatic elements usually is 128 and the number of the ultrasound transmitter and receiver channels is kept to 64. The probe is usually held in the system operator hand, through an approximately 6-feet multi-channel coaxial, very thin yet durable and flexible special ultrasound cable and expansive wideband RF impedance matched connector connected to the ultrasound main transmitter and receiver of the system PCB. In order to save the number of expansive high quality cable, usually the multiplexer and de-multiplexer circuits are placed inside of the probe. Therefore minimum in size or higher degree of integration is always aggressively demanded.
Referring to
In
Referring to
The 8-switch channels and 16-switch channels device can be packaged into a 48 leads LQFP IC package with 0.5 mm pin-pitch. There is a minimum pin-pitch that is required by the high voltage clearance of the PCB board design for surface pin to pin high voltage creepage distance. Therefore to further increase the IC circuit area density and designing more channels of the switches in one IC device, will be limited by the pin counters.
Referring to
While embodiments of the disclosure have been described in terms of various specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments of the disclosure can be practiced with modifications within the spirit and scope of the claims.
Claims
1. An integrated circuit high voltage analog switch comprising:
- a digital logic-level control interface circuit;
- a level translator coupled to the digital logic-level control interface circuit;
- a plurality of output multi-channel high voltage switches coupled to the level translator;
- wherein each of the plurality of output multi-channel high voltage switches comprises a first and second MOSFET, a second MOSFET of each output multi-channel high voltage switch is coupled to a first MOSFET of a successive output multi-channel high voltage switch to form a common terminal between successive output multi-channel high voltage switches.
2. An integrated circuit high voltage analog switch in accordance with claim 1 wherein the plurality of output multi-channel high voltage switches is a plurality of multiplexors/demultiplexors.
3. An integrated circuit high voltage analog switch in accordance with claim 2 wherein the plurality of multiplexors/demultiplexors are configured as one of: 2 to 1, 3 to 1, or more to 1 multiplexers providing one of 15, 16, 24 or 32 switch channels.
4. An integrated circuit high voltage analog switch comprising:
- a digital logic-level control interface circuit;
- a level translator coupled to the digital logic-level control interface circuit;
- a plurality of output multi-channel high voltage switches coupled to the level translator, wherein successive output multi-channel high voltage switches are connected together to form a common terminal between successive output multi-channel high voltage switches;
- wherein each of the plurality of output multi-channel high voltage switches comprises a first and second MOSFET, a second MOSFET of each output multi-channel high voltage switch is coupled to a first MOSFET of a successive output multi-channel high voltage switch to form a common terminal.
5. An integrated circuit high voltage analog switch in accordance with claim 4 wherein the plurality of output multi-channel high voltage switches are a plurality of multiplexors/demultiplexors, the plurality of multiplexors/demultiplexors are configured as one of: 2 to 1, 3 to 1, or more to 1 multiplexers providing one of 15, 16, 24 or 32 switch channels.
6. An ultrasound imaging system having an integrated circuit high voltage analog switching circuit in accordance with claim 5 wherein the plurality of multiplexors/demultiplexors configured as one of: 2 to 1, 3 to 1, or more to 1 multiplexers.
7. An ultrasound imaging system having an integrated circuit high voltage analog switching circuit in accordance with claim 5 wherein the digital logic-level control interface circuit comprises:
- a shift register having a data input pin, data output pin and a clock signal pin; and
- a latch register coupled to an output of the shift register and an output coupled to the level translator.
8. An ultrasound imaging system having an integrated circuit high voltage analog switching circuit comprising:
- a digital logic-level control interface circuit;
- a level translator coupled to the digital logic-level control interface circuit;
- a plurality of multiplexors/demultiplexors, wherein successive multiplexors/demultiplexors are connected together to form a common terminal;
- wherein each of the plurality of multiplexors/demultiplexors comprises a first and second MOSFET, a second MOSFET of each of the multiplexors/demultiplexors is coupled a first MOSFET of a successive multiplexors/demultiplexors to form a common terminal.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Feb 6, 2009
Date of Patent: Feb 22, 2011
Patent Publication Number: 20100201428
Assignee: Supertex, Inc. (Sunnyvale, CA)
Inventor: Ching Chu (San Jose, CA)
Primary Examiner: Vibol Tan
Assistant Examiner: Dylan White
Attorney: Weiss & Moy, P.C.
Application Number: 12/367,310
International Classification: H03K 19/094 (20060101); H03K 3/00 (20060101);